In Their Memories
by spoiled princez
Summary: No amount of insanity and cruelty could ever replace their love for their only father. For Father's Day. Oneshot.


**Happy Fathers' Day!**

* * *

Kenjirou wasn't always the bad guy.

No matter what may have happened in the past, he was - and still is - their intelligent, eccentric, funny, and loving _father_.

Kousuke liked him.

Male volunteers in the orphanage were rare, and even then they weren't exactly father figures. It was a nice change, the boy had thought, to have someone strong enough to carry him when he gets tired or sick, generous enough to share with him knowledge about "the mysteries and wonders of nature," and patient enough to help him toughen up against school bullies.

And even after learning about their father's own dangerous Snake, which may or may not have been the main reason they moved away, Kousuke had worried about him a lot, enough to want to visit the man everytime he went out. Home is still somewhere he could be with his father.

Shuuya had fun being with him.

He'd never met his own father, but long ago he'd assumed that the man and all other adults were just the same as his mother. Always tired. Authoritative. And super scary when pissed off. But their new parents proved that wrong, particularly Kenjirou who often took part in the games they played with their big sister whenever he had a lot of time off work, and even prank them himself. With him, the little boy found it easy to smile and laugh.

And even if he had been ordered to do horrible things by Kenjirou's Clearing Eyes Snake, Shuuya knew that deep inside that monster is a man who still deeply cared for them. He could never curse their father himself.

* * *

"He sure still creeps me out." With a fake shiver, Kano plopped down on the couch. He was smirking, but Kido could see it was a good-natured one.

Seto glanced at their parents' pictures in the altar they had set up in the living room of their old house days ago. "It's like they still keep an eye out for us. Especially Otousan."

"Exactly! It's like anytime he'd go 'I know what you did last summer!'"

The two laughed, whether or not it was on purpose to do so from both sides of Kido like she was already invisible, but the girl didn't seem to mind.

Rather, she only stared straight ahead at one certain photo, sighing softly as she leaned back on the sofa. She knew it'd be wrong to ruin the easygoing mood they have now, but the brewing storm inside of her just let it slip.

"Was it really that bad?"

Immediately, both knew she wasn't talking about the picture.

It's not like they didn't know she's upset. They expected her to be, in fact.

She had been so quiet and accepting when they first told her everything, like it hadn't sunk in just yet. So they waited, as it was in their own individual habits after all to keep silent until they burst.

And now the issues they knew bothered her so much was finally out in the open.

That Kano took part. That Seto heard. But she had been kept in the dark for so long.

And more importantly, how should she perceive Kenjirou now?

"Who would've thought, huh?" Kido smiled bitterly. "That he would have Eyes too?"

"He never wanted this to happen," Seto firmly gripped her hand. "Just like us, he hated his Snake. That much I can assure you."

At his hard tone, Kido glanced sideways at her brother who was now staring at his shoes.

Using his power that time hadn't been like before, where the little boy could tell his siblings about the things he'd heard with his Eyes that scared him. He wasn't supposed to discover it, so he had to stay quiet. To keep them safe.

Kano suddenly latched on Kido's arm and leaned against her shoulder, startling the girl. The top of his head was at her face when she turned to him.

His gaze was fixated on the altar. "Isn't it better though, Kido? To be spared of it all? If you've known about all this long ago, do you think you could've handled it?"

His voice was a bit too bright for the situation, but the words cut deep. It was another one of the blonde's attempts to keep the mood light. Something he'd done all these years, even and especially as he got tormented by the Snake. To keep them from suspecting anything. To keep them safe.

Guilt punched her gut. "Y-you're right. I shouldn't be thinking like this. Sorry," she muttered.

Kano looked up at her. "I never said that. You do have every right to be upset."

"Because we've been unfair too, Kido." Seto then leaned back on the sofa and sighed heavily. "But... I think Otousan himself wouldn't want you knowing about this after all, actually."

"What do you mean?" the girl slightly tensed up. "Did you hear that from... Otousan himself?"

"I don't need to," Seto smiled at her. "Because he cared for you more than you know. And he knew how attached you are to him. You may not notice it, but he tried harder for you. Because he doesn't want another father to disappoint you."

Kido felt her heart lurch. She had to look away.

"And hey, Kido?" Kano peered at her, his tone now melancholic. "If this is a comfort, I've wanted to tell everything to you more than anyone. But at the same time, I hesitated. Not just because you would get in big trouble." He wiped a stray tear now rolling down her cheek. "But because he's the best father you could ever have."

She told herself she wouldn't cry. But then her eyes met Kenjirou's picture smiling at them. Smiling at her.

* * *

Tsubomi stayed away a lot from him at first.

It surprised her how someone could care so much for children who aren't even related to him. Her own biological father resented her mere existence, so how could this man be different, now that the three of them would start leeching off his hard-earned wages? But Kenjirou persevered, and though it scared her to have her cheeks pinched playfully or getting hoisted up whenever she walks by, he eventually won the little girl's heart with his sincerity and dedication.

It hurt to be the last to know about Kenjirou's Snake, but now Tsubomi felt happy that until the end, she never hated her father.

It's just too bad he won't be here now that she wouldn't have to – or rather, now that she would never want to stay away anymore.

Kenjirou wasn't always the bad guy. He may have failed, he may have endangered their own lives.

But he loved them first despite their 'monsters'.

In the eyes of his children, he is the only father they would ever ask for.


End file.
